A snapshot into what her future held...

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Wednesday, July 25, 2012

As Karis' parents, we are responsible for her physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being... that's what we signed on for when we adopted her, in April 2011. Since that time, we have seen unbelievable growth in each of the three areas. Most recently was her participation in our county fair. Two big wins... first, for her 4-H rabbit project and second, winning a Guys and Gals Sheep Lead competition. In her very first year of participating, she won both competitions. We are so proud of her and hope that these contests help to build both self confidence and forever family fun! Feel free to double click on the photos to enlarge them. Hooray for Karis!!!

And to top it off... even brother and sister won their classes, as well! Three wins for three great kids!

Friday, July 6, 2012

Another milestone! Karis celebrated her second Fourth of July! This is worth noting, because last summer, everything was so new to her, it was difficult for her to just "live" and "enjoy". In fact, there were times that she acted as if she had to move so fast, eat so fast, shop so fast... all because in her mind, there was the possibility she would be sent back to Russia.
After a year's worth of routine, stability, and love, the very normal teenager slept in on the 4th, then, helped make holiday treats which included red, white, and blue fruit kabobs and an American flag cake. Then, it was time to head to our friends' pool party which has become an annual tradition. For each of these activities just mentioned, Karis knew what to expect, so the day was enjoyable for her.
We have made big strides in a year's time. This summer has been wonderful compared to last, not that last summer was bad, it was just a time of adjustment for all of us, not to mention, I was still slightly traumatized from being held in Russia 21 days. I whole-heartedly believe God is rewarding us this summer, by allowing us to just enjoy our time... and each other!
Happy Birthday, America... THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!!

Bryansk Home

My two favorite colors together seem to be common in Bryansk homes.

Our Daughter- Sveta, Yulia, Karis

Welcome to our blog! For those of you who are new and happened to stumble across us... a brief explanation. We were originally told our adopted daughter's name was Svetlana "Sveta", so we named the blog with that name. We later discovered there was a mix-up, and our daughter's name is actually Yulia which is "Julia" in English and often easier to pronounce. Her "official" name after the adoption is Karis Yulia (our last name) which was her choosing.Same child... different names... good, crazy story!